Singapore, April 24 -- Scientists from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), together with scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and A*STAR's Bioinformatics Institute (BII), have mapped out the structures of four dengue and four Zika viruses. The research focuses on understanding the genetic materials and shapes of these viruses, as well as their corresponding functions.

Consequently, understanding their biology enables scientists to design better drugs and treatments.

Mosquito-borne infections are common and deadly in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Estimates suggest up to 700 million infections and over one million deaths are caused by a variety of mosquito...